Big shoes to fill. A year later.

Tim Stelter has been part of our team for just under a year – and has been working on one of our long-term construction sites right from the start. It’s no easy task, as he is effectively following in the footsteps of Rudolf Gasde, who celebrated his 45th anniversary with the company this year.

Rudi could have retired long ago. However, his stance was clear:
“I’ll only retire when I know the site is in good hands.”

For Tim, that meant taking on responsibility from the very start. The first three to four months were intense. New structures, lots of interfaces, high expectations. “I was completely knackered by the evening,” he says, describing the early days. Step by step, he grew into the role – supported by an experienced site manager with a direct, North German manner.

What Tim particularly values is communication on an equal footing – both internally and externally with the project managers on site. A key moment came after six months: Rudi was on holiday for two weeks, and the responsibility fell entirely on Tim. The feedback afterwards was honest and constructive – a few pointers, but overall a good feeling. For Tim, it was a sign that he had found his feet.

Since then, the collaboration has evolved. Four days spent together on site have been reduced to two. Rudi’s expertise remains readily available, whilst Tim’s independence is growing noticeably.

Day-to-day work remains challenging: new demands, last-minute coordination, and most recently the planning and installation of network cabinets with over 100 cables, including the creation of independent electrical plans for finalisation on site. Responsibility is part of the job – as is seamless coordination.

It is also worth noting that Tim is around 35 years younger than some of his colleagues on site. Nevertheless, the division of tasks works well – experience meets a fresh perspective.
A year on, it is fair to say: the shoes are big to fill. And they are being filled.